A Quote by Eddie Alvarez
As far as Nurmagomedov, I just don't get how you become the No. 1 contender without actually fighting guys who are ranked in the top 10. It kind of baffles me.
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When I was ranked No. 11 or 12, they offered me Gustafsson who was the No. 1 contender, and I didn't hesitate. I was No. 10 when I fought Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson who was the No. 1 contender. We accept fights, but not everyone is like that, I'm beginning to find out. It's not right.
If Amanda Nunes truly wants an opportunity at the 145-lb. belt, a win against any ranked contender in that division would help establish her back in a weight class she left before fighting me.
I got to experience fighting some really good guys, like Demian Maia and Tyron Woodley who are top guys in the division. It was on a big stage, those fights. It gives me experience with top-level guys.
Unlike GGG, who just boxed Steve Rolls who was ranked about 81 in the world, I'm fighting real guys.
For me, it was just a case of seeing what stage I could actually get to. For every kid it's the same, you don't know how far you can go until you get a bit older and things start to become a reality.
If you're going to make as much money as you are, when you're fighting someone else, that's the one thing I always tell people is I would never turn down the truly rightful No. 1 contender in my division, because the UFC can actually strip you. They can say, 'You're not going to fight the No. 1 contender. We can strip you.'
They said if I'd fight a ranked contender, I'd get a title shot. I did that, and the next day they changed the rules.
I had a little radio next to the bed and I'd just listen to the top 10 - I mean, it was crap but I was young - and I would get up in the dark with the moon coming in through the window and I would just dance in my pajamas in the dark to the top 10. I didn't have a CD player... so it was kind of all I had, you know?
I can walk into a restaurant and knock five guys out, become 5-0 real quick. It's about the quality of opponent. You have to beat the right guys to call yourself the No. 1 contender.
I still remember how we, all in the family, used to sit in front of the radio to listen to Ameen Sayani's programme of top 10 songs 'Binaka Geetmala' in which I was constantly ranked number one for many weeks.
The way I look at the top five, (Rod) Laver, (Roger) Federer, myself, Borg and (Ivan) Lendl. I think those five guys dominated their generations better than anyone. Maybe Roger will dominate better than any one of the other four. Maybe I put Andre (Agassi) as kind of six through 10 with, you know, (John) McEnroe and (Jimmy) Connors, kind of those guys. That's kind of how I see it.
Once you come to America, you're fighting top fighters. They're not going to let you get away with the guys you're fighting in England: you're going to have to fight constant monsters.
We've got a bunch of guys who have been travelling around the world for over 10 years, scratching and clawing, fighting, just trying to live their dream, just trying to prove people wrong, just trying to show that we belong, and that's kind of the essence of NXT.
As much as you may be sitting in the top five or the top 10, sometimes you just don't get that chance to get to the top.
My favorite Duke player ever is Steve Wojciechowski. He called me one day congratulating me on my success thus far, and I was like,'I appreciate it, but man, please don't congratulate me. I know when you guys start the season, you're not just trying to be 10-10 or ACC champions, you're trying to win it all.'
I am a nerd about this sport. I know guys' records, who they fought, how they win, who they're married to, where they eat dinner, what kind of car do they drive. I'm a big nerd of the sport, so it would be easy for me to sit in front of a table of guys and just talk about fighting.
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